Westminster Abbey can rightfully claim the primacy among England's greatest treasures. Yale University Press prepared a detailed account of its history commissioned by the abbey itself - and the result was brilliant. Surprisingly, this is the first serious academic study on St Peter's Collegiate Church at Westminster to use its correct name, although one of its abbots, Arthur Penryn Stanley, attempted to bring it into circulation in his book Historical Monuments of Westminster Abbey.. The collection, edited by David Kennedine, brings together historical research by various authors on the fate of the abbey from about 604 to the present day.. Kennedine accompanied the book with an introductory overview and an excellent conclusion, in which he notes that the Benedictine monks founded the church to “serve as a symbol of a vision unrestrained by the borders of the kingdom,” and that “the abbey, more than any other place of worship, represents. The publishers have provided the book with a glossary on temple architecture, as well as detailed notes and a comprehensive bibliography. And although this is primarily a work dedicated to the history of Westminster Abbey, its presentation is impossible without mentioning the artifacts stored here.. Speaking about the period from the 11th to the 16th century, among the most outstanding it is necessary to mention the tomb of Edward the Confessor, who rebuilt the church, and was later buried in it, " The twists and turns of the Reformation are recounted in a brilliant article by Diarmaid McCullough. Of particular interest is his observation that with the advent of Protestantism, numerous side chapels became redundant and were used as storage rooms for tombstones..

In the introduction to the collection, John Hall, who recently stepped down from his duties as rector of the church, draws attention to its dual role as a Christian temple and repository of national memory. For example, when the question of a site for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier arose shortly after the end of World War I, the choice obviously fell on the abbey, and the most prominent figures continue to vie for the right to rest in the neighborhood to this day.. Source: theartnewspaper.